What unfolded on Sunday at the world-famous Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau, Bavaria, has caused widespread horror. A foreign tourist locked her dog in a storage locker alongside a pushchair!
Particularly callous: whilst she calmly toured the royal chambers, the animal fought for survival in the cramped box during the summer heat.
Dog forced to share space with pushchair
Witnesses watched in disbelief as the woman crammed the roughly 60-centimetre-tall animal into the box designed for valuables. A police spokesman confirmed: "The pushchair alone filled half the compartment." The dog, wedged into the other half, had no possibility of moving or even breathing properly.
Several visitors alerted the woman to the scorching temperatures and the danger to the animal in the increasingly hot metal cabinet. But the dog owner remained completely unmoved by the concerned voices.
It's currently believed she stuffed her four-legged friend into the locker because dogs are banned from castle tours according to the Bavarian Palace Administration.
Rescuers intervene as animal barely survives
Fortunately, security staff acted quickly after alert tourists raised the alarm. The staff freed the visibly stressed but thankfully uninjured dog from the makeshift "heat prison".
How high the temperatures actually reached in the closed locker remains unclear, but with direct sunlight, temperatures there could easily exceed 40 degrees.
Police took the animal to the station. An exact assessment of the breed couldn't be made, only this much: the dog was medium-sized, roughly knee-high.
Criminal proceedings against dog owner
Kempten Police have initiated proceedings against the woman for violating animal protection laws. Whether the dog will be permanently removed from her care remains unclear. What's certain: the incident has caused horror and disbelief not only among officers but also castle visitors.
The incident serves as a stark example of what can happen when rules, convenience and thoughtlessness are implemented at the expense of a living creature. It also raises the question of whether the Palace Administration should offer better alternatives for dog owners before more animals find themselves in life-threatening situations.
